The company Olive – a young brand, founded a few years ago an American Bergman Oliver (Oliver Bergmann). At the time of its founding companies behind him has been more than ten years experience in the IT-industry in leading positions. At the moment, the focus of his attention to the music market Hi-End-equipment. It would seem that the sector is extremely traditional, and not prone to innovation, especially to the new names is Olive 4HD review.
Here Oliver Bergman decided to go their separate ways. His concept of Hi-End-equipment differs from the usual, but it is closer and clearer to the average user who appreciates not only the quality but also functionality. The easiest way in which, unfortunately, most companies should be leading Hi-End-sector lies in the fact that the typical overall product is equipped with the maximum quality and exclusive accessories. Then, all clothed in the original and not less expensive skin (often with the author’s design). This approach is familiar and has many fans. Minimum innovation, maximum quality.
MEDIA SERVER OLIVE 4HD REVIEW
But what if you combine high-quality components Olive 4HD review with something really new? In such an experiment, and Oliver went to Bergman. Thanks to him, the US and European markets saw a series of devices called “music server» (media streamer).
WHAT IS IT AND FOR WHAT PURPOSES ARE A MUSIC SERVER?
Ideologically, this device is to help music lovers with the storage and playback of music CD-ROM drive. If more than one simplified scheme of work, the server operates Olive 4HD review thus: the optical drive slot-loading disc is inserted into a musical, after which its contents copied in the form of files on the internal hard drive in MP3 or FLAC (by the user). In this case, the bitrate setting can be changed in the case of MP3 it may reach 320 kbit / s. In the process of copying the data, the server assigns compositions relevant information and records in his or her library. With its help, you can find a song by genre, artist or song title.
At first glance, the Olive 4HD review is nothing revolutionary, but in order to understand the meaning of his existence, it is necessary to turn to the specifics of digital Hi-End-Audio. Until now, the high-end music systems used CD-players, more than that, their popularity is kept at a very specific level. These carriers can live together with formats SACD (Super Audio CD) and even DVD-Audio, by and large, they just occupied different niches. The popularity of CD-player Hi-End is already supported by the fact that the amount of music on a CD-ROM is not comparable with the SACD editions.
DVD-Audio discs are often used to record specific multi-channel music or live high-quality video. Another detail that affects the popularity of CD-format – a simple copy audio tracks to your computer. And it’s only a matter of convenience, tedious each time search box to the desired drive and installs the hardware, the much easier process takes place in a digital library on the PC.
Of course, it is no secret that even the SACD-ROM can be copied, moving the analog signal and digitize it again, however, an identical copy of the speech already can not be, and therefore the meaning of expensive equipment, which is able to reproduce the finest nuances are lost. The problem of combining and organizing digital CD-library has long stood in the music community, many decide it through the computer and professional audio interface. The difficulty is that most of the audiophiles in principle considers the computer involved in processing music inadmissible. We will not deal with the question, how much is true and evaluate the how well solves the problem of the media server Olive 4HD.
INTERFACES
Media Server is endowed with a comprehensive set of interfaces and output jacks for connecting to the problems of any kind was the user equipment does not arise. All connectors are located on the rear side of the case. They are divided into three blocks. In the first collected coaxial digital audio DAC built-in, coaxial digital audio and optical digital audio output.
THE MAIN UNIT CONNECTORS AND INTERFACES, MEDIA SERVER OLIVE 4HD
Note, incidentally, that the role of the digital to analog converter using a solution of production Texas Instruments TI Burr- Brown PCM1792A. The final format of the analog signal can be characterized by sampling at 192 kHz and 24 bit. This converter applies to the premium class and that the Olive 4HD review can be used as an external high-quality DAC, significantly adds to it merits.
A little to the side is a pair of stereo analog audio output. The second connector unit located just below is one of USB, HDMI and Ethernet ports. There is also a connector for connecting an external IR receiver. To the left of these interfaces are derived two antenna inputs, both are designed to work in a Wi-Fi network.
As you can see, the Olive 4HD review is well suited for integration into any home infrastructure, including wireless. It is time to assess the functionality of the software and ease of use. All control elements are displayed on the front panel of a media server. Control Center can be called a large touch screen, its diagonal of 4.3 inches, a resolution of 480 by 272 points. The screen quality is high, especially pleased viewing angles and color reproduction.
Responding to touch realized by resistive technology, which has a number of advantages. Display goes matt coating, fingerprints on it almost does not remain. Often, manufacturers do not bother to duplicate the touchscreen hardware control buttons, in this case, it is made, and is also a significant advantage for the Olive 4HD review. In some situations easier to manage large keys, rather than aim for the menu items on the display.
The main menu is divided into four main sections: Music Library, sources of music, radio and Internet Settings. As you might guess, most of the time users have to spend in the first section. Here, for the convenience of the composition divided by genre, author, album, and other criteria, of course, there is the opportunity to work with playlists.
THE DEVICE COMES WITH REMOTE CONTROL AND WI-FI ANTENNA
In “Sources of Music” on the choice of two interfaces – digital audio and work with USB-devices. If everything is transparent to the first, the second (USB) is designed exclusively for the firmware update. When connecting external storage media server prompts you to upgrade the firmware or restore a previous version.
The next section on Internet radio has fully justified its name. The media server allows you to search stations by region and genre, as well as create a list of favorites.
Settings – the busiest section. Here are all the options for configuring a media server. In addition to standard network and system settings, you can specify the quality of the copy data from a CD but also record on CD (available three items to choose from – record an audio CD without pauses, an audio recording with a 2-second pause, and record-disk mp3).
As you can see, a media server interface, on the one hand, is simple enough, on the other – allows you to set any function devices and even update the firmware. Among the shortcomings can be noted is not always the high-quality translation of menu items (some items are simply not translated), and also not very accurate work hardware navigation keys. Large buttons are very small stroke and see if it was pressed or not, is not always possible.
The quality of the reproduced content is high enough, by and large, the sound quality will depend on the acoustics. Built-DAC does not contribute to the sound any audible distortion, moreover, there is no unnatural sound, often impute computer sound secondary and even higher price range. Given that the role of the sound sources for Olive will be used mainly CD-discs, which have fairly modest acoustic parameters (44.1 kHz, 16 bits), a media server hardware is not exactly become a bottleneck in the audio system.
In early testing, we had concerns that the operation built-in hard disk will be heard (recall that the media server is installed storage capacity of 1 or 2 TB), fortunately, they were unfounded. The manufacturer took care of the comfort of an audiophile, a hard drive, “packaged” in the eight layers of sound-proofing material and is completely silent.
THE RESULTS
When testing a media server Olive 4HD review to use passive outdoor speakers Pioneer S-71-K-class Hi-Fi, where the sound of many noted as the closest to the reference studio acoustics, as well as the receiver Pioneer VSX-1021. In addition to high-quality sound, which we have already mentioned, the media server live up to its promise. In terms of convenience and functionality of the device is the very attractive purchase, especially for those who have assembled an impressive collection of the high-quality CD-ROM drive.
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